Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Assam government invoked the National Security Act against indigenous rights activist Pranab Doley on July 30, 2026. This move comes one day after the Golaghat Sessions Court granted Doley bail. He remains behind bars in Golaghat District Jail. The state Home and Political Department claims ordinary criminal law cannot prevent the 40-year-old from committing acts prejudicial to public order and state security.
Doley, a resident of Panbari Mising Gaon, was arrested on July 12. He faced charges linked to a June 28 protest against a five-star hotel project at Inglay Pathar near Kaziranga National Park. The government cited intelligence reports and 13 criminal cases registered against him since 2017. Authorities also pointed to foreign remittances from doubtful sources and his travel to countries including Thailand, Spain, and Switzerland as grounds for detention.
Additional Sessions Judge N.M. Abdullah Ahmed had previously granted bail to Doley, Bijit Kutum, Bhaskar Saikia, and Rajeev Pegu on July 29. The court found no video evidence of protesters attacking police or using weapons. Judge Ahmed observed, "true public order is achieved not by silencing the affected, but by listening to them." The court dismissed allegations of arson and harassment, noting the protest stemmed from legitimate anxiety regarding environmental degradation and the rights of the local Tea Tribes.
The Bhumi Adhikar Joutha Sangram Samity thanked its legal team, including Shantanu Borthakur, for securing the initial bail. Legal proceedings against Adit Chandra Rabha remain ongoing. While the court noted that police had seized Doley's passport and completed key witness statements, the NSA order effectively keeps him in custody. He is now barred from release despite meeting his bail conditions.
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